During the winter break and the colder months, student renters will want to be aware of city ordinances on parking and snow removal, as well as what to do if you lose heat in your apartment.
Parking
From Dec. 1 through March 1, various parking regulations take effect throughout the city. Some residential streets are restricted to parking on a single side of the street. Be sure to check the signs on your street on whether parking is allowed between Dec. 1 and March 1, or if you must park on alternate sides of the street.
Snow removal and emergency
Another ordinance that kicks in: Residents have 24 hours after a snowfall to clear snow from sidewalks. Failing to do so will not only result in an icy sidewalk, but residents will incur a fine that starts at $50. Be sure to review your lease to see if your landlord has agreed to provide snow removal or if the responsibility lies with you and your roommates.
If a snow emergency has been declared, night parking regulations are in effect from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on all city streets, regardless of winter parking rules. During a snow emergency, Milwaukee Public Schools will make some of its playgrounds and parking lots available for night parking and clean-up.
Loss of heat
With winter approaching, it is important to know what you need to do if the heat goes out in your rental unit. While losing heat can cause your rental unit to be cold, it can also lead to serious consequences for you as a tenant and your rental unit.
Remember, never turn your heat off, regardless of whether you are home or not. In addition, many leases have a temperature minimum requirement.
Even if your heat is working, but the center of each room in your unit isn’t reaching at least 67 degrees F, you should follow the guidelines below to get the issue fixed:
Contact your landlord: The first and most important thing to do is to contact your landlord or rental company immediately. The problem can’t get fixed if your landlord isn’t aware of it. Your landlord should have the heat repaired within 24 hours, according to the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services.
Contact the Department of Neighborhood Services: If your landlord doesn’t respond to your communication immediately or informs you that it will take more than 24 hours to fix, contact DNS to report a problem with your landlord.
Record the temperature: Create a record of the temperature. Take a picture of the thermostat and temperature reading. By law, all rental units are required to be able to reach at least 67 degrees.
File a landlord complaint with the UWM Neighborhood Housing Office: If a landlord does not respond to your calls or emails, takes an extended amount of time to fix the heat or is otherwise negligent in this situation, students should file a landlord complaint through the Neighborhood Housing Office website. You’ll still need to contact Milwaukee DNS, but this also ensures the university has a record of the complaint.
Make an appointment with the University Legal Clinic: If you believe your landlord might have violated your lease agreement throughout the process of repairing or failing to fix your heat, students may request an appointment with the University Legal Clinic. The clinic will review the lease of a UWM student for free and can offer legal help and advice.
